United Nations Development Programme

Launch of inter-university development journal in Mozambique

23 Mar 2010

The journal on economic, policy and development studies is published by eight Mozambican universities and is produced with UNDP support. It contains information produced in Mozambique, about Mozambique and for Mozambicans.

“This publication will foster a country-wide debate on developmental matters, bringing together academia, the business community and society at large. Universities can contribute towards social problems and challenges”, says Professor Eduardo J. Sitoe, the Executive Director of the journal.

The first of the three annual issues of “Economia, Politica e Desenvolvimento” includes five articles covering the topics of: participation in the democratic processes; challenges of monitoring governmental actions; analysis on socio-professional mobility among civil servants in Maputo; mobility, poverty and witchcraft among the rural populations of Mozambique; and the implications of forest research on sustainable development.

Among the goals of this initiative are to contribute to methodological pluralism in Mozambique, promote diversity of scientific ideas, and accumulate knowledge among students and researchers.

“From an academic point of view, the journal means a new reference point for excellence and a platform to facilitate scientific research by national and international researchers. The quality of the first articles, can fairly reach the one of similar European journals”, professor Sitoe estimates.

According to Ndolamb Ngokwey, the Resident Representative of UNDP in Mozambique, the journal is an innovative and multifaceted initiative that UNDP is proud to support. “This cooperation combines scientific knowledge management and partnerships with civil society institutions (universities) in a way that can stimulate debate on development issues and innovations, not only among academics but also among politicians, private sector and civil society”, he said.

The journal is managed and hosted by the Eduardo Mondlane University through its Center for Policy Analysis. The other Mozambican universities involved are the Pedagogical University (UP), the Polytechnic University (ISPU), the Higher Institute of Science and Technology (ISCTEM), the Higher Institute of Public Administration (ISAP), the Higher Institute of International Relations (ISRI), the São Tomás University of Mozambique (USTM), and the Technical University (UDM). UNDP is represented on the scientific board of the journal.

The journal, issued in Portuguese, will be provided free of charge to universities across the country and the goal is that each university library will have copies of the journal, to ensure that academic views and experiences are shared among students and academics alike.

More pictures of the journal launch may be seen on the website of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of the Eduardo Mondlane University http://www.flcs.uem.mz/.

The first ever interdisciplinary and inter-university Mozambican journal on development issues was launched in Maputo last month.